Greer's OC

Dining

Asian Fusion in RSM

12.30.13

Mizu Sushi Bar & Grill just celebrated its grand opening in Rancho Santa Margarita. The Asian fusion eatery offers fresh fish delivered daily, as well Korean BBQ, and traditional Asian dishes such katsu, udon and house-made tempura. Mizu’s menu features all original recipes, and all sauces are made fresh daily in-house.

Mizu also boasts a full bar with a unique selection of wine which pairs perfectly with any dish; Asian-inspired hand-crafted cocktails with the freshest ingredients; a Cold Sake-by-the-Glass program which offers a traditional Sake experience from Japan; and a great selection of imported craft beer.

Open for lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m Monday through Saturday; and dinner nightly at 5 p.m. Happy hour with drink and appetizer specials Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Mizu Sushi Bar & Grill is in Plaza Antonio at 22431 Antonio Parkway, Suite B-110 (near the El Paseo entrance), in Rancho Santa Margarita. 949.297.6498.

An Olive Oil Oasis at Fashion Island

12.20.13

Fig & Olive at Fashion Island in Newport Beach is officially opening tonight for dinner. It's the second West Coast Fig & Olive, joining its Melrose Place/West Hollywood and New York City locations. Owner and founder Laurent Halasz created Fig & Olive Newport Beach as an inspiration from the coastal regions in the South of France where he hails from.

Executive Chef Pascal Lorange’s menu is focused on optimum ingredients from hand-select farmers and its signature ingredient of olive oil. Lorange and Halasz traveled throughout Italy, Spain, and the South of France to discover premium olive oils and recipes for Fig & Olive.

At Fig & Olive guests can enjoy the crostini station for shareable small plates such as the zucchini carpaccio with fresh lemon juice, pine nut, parmesan, and picholine olive oil; octopus a la gallega, a thinly sliced braised octopus with marinated bell pepper, fingerling potato, black olive, basil, arugula, pimenton lemon dressing, and cobrancosa olive oil; a fig gorgonzola tartlet with melted gorgonzola, prosciutto, fig, walnut, arugula, and tomato on a fine puff pastry, manchego, fig spread, and almond crostini; tuna crudo with cucumber, chive, cilantro, lemon sesame dressing, and picual olive oil.

At dinner, you can choose from entrées like Chilean sea bass marinated in lemon thyme with carrot, asparagus, celery root purée, fingerling potato confit, charmoula, and mascarpone harissa olive oil emulsion; grilled Branzino glazed with a fig and 18-year balsamic vinegar, figs, snow peas, and a sweet picholine olive oil; and Provence rosemary grilled lamb chops marinated with rosemary, garlic smoked with a bouquet of herbes de Provence, finished with a rosemary garlic olive oil, and served with goat cheese gnocchi and eggplant roasted with thyme and honey.

Desserts include specialties such as the paper-thin warm caramelized apple tart—a family recipe handed down by Halasz’s mother; chocolate pot de crème with crunchy praline financiers; and fig cake with olive oil ice cream.

The restaurant features three main dining rooms: the Wine Room, the White Room, and the Orchard Room, as well as a Garden Lounge with a retractable roof.

Open for dinner daily from 5 – 11 p.m. Lunch and brunch will begin on Monday, Jan. 6.

401 Newport Center Dr., Suite 151 at Fashion Island, Newport Beach. 949.877.3005.

Photo courtesy of Michael Gardner.